Excavating-machine.



PA-TENTED JULY 14, 1908.

7 H. STROM. EXOAVATING MACHINE.

"APPLICATION FILED MAY 29, 1907.

4 SHBETSl-SHEET'L auueul'o'n flezuy Sfrom PATENTED JULY 14, 1909. E. v swarm.

EXQAVATING MACHINE. MPLWAHOSY nun my 29. 1007.

mums-sum: 2.

/0 2 '8 47 22. 79 /6 Z /7 f 5 I attozum 1 .3. STRUM.

EXGAVATING MACHINE.

Pmmw JULY 14. .1908.

APYL'IOA TIOH FILED MAY 29. 1 907.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Quue nfoz 191f" eases Z/JWA.

1 10 www PATBNTED JULY 14, 1908, v H; STRGE'I EXGAVATING MACHINE;

A IfPLIGATION FILED MAY 29, 1907.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

Wit messes v No. 893,398 I UNITED STATES PATENT oFFIoE.

ENRY STROM, OF inLLsBoRo, NORTH DAKOTA.

EXCAVATING-MAGHINE Specification of Letters Patent."

Application filed May 29, 1907. Serial No. 376,288. I

Tooll whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY STROM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hillsboro, 1n the county of Traill and State of North Dakota, have invented newand use-v ful Im rovements in Excavating-Machines,

of whic the following is a specification.

f This invention relates to a machinefor excavating, grading and other purposes, of that type in which the buckets or shovels are mounted on an endless chain so as to take up the earth, sand orother material at one point and discharge it at another point.

The invention has for one of its objects to improve and simplify the construction and operation of machines of this character so as to be comparatively easy and inexpensive to manufacture, thoroughly reliable and ef-' ficient in use, readily controlled and adapted for a large variety of uses.

A further object of the invention is 'the provision of an excavating, grading and earth moving machine com risinga feeding device controlling the depti of cut and including means whereby the engine can be employed for returning the feeding device to initial position. to begin another out.

Astlll further object is the provision of a dischar e apron or endless belt which re 'ceives t e material from the buckets and delivers it to the proper point, the endless belt being adjustab e to deliver the' material at any desired point and provided with driving means receiving power from the same source manually controller means for adjusting the discharge apron, the said means being located at a convenient pointso as to be under the control of a single operator.

With these objects in view and others, as

i will appear as the description proceeds, the

invention comprises the various novel 'fea' tures of construction andarrangement of parts "which will be more fully described hereinafchine.

ter and set forth with particularity in the claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawings,which illustrate one of the embodiments of the inven-, tion, Figure 1 is aside elevation of'a. Ina- Fig. -is an enlarged vertical section of the main- Fig. 4'is'a i similar-vievnof the discharge end of the mai I chine, forming a continuation of Fig, 3., Fig. 5 is a plan view ofthe mechanism for Fig. 2 is a plan View thereof.

body portion of the machine.

drivin the discharge apron or belt. Fig. 6

is'a side elevation thereof. Fig. 7 is a detail- View of the brake for the feedin device. Fig. 8 is a detail sectional view of t e clutch I of the wheel for actuating the feeding device .by hand. Fig. 9 is a detailsectional view of the guiderframe of-the bucket guide of the feeding device.

Similar reference. characters are employed I to desi nate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

1 Referring to the drawing, A designates the main frame of the machine that is rectangular in form and comprises an openwork structure of iron or wooden beams, and atone end is an overhanging extension B. i The main frame A is provided at its corner with transversely extending axles 1 on'longitudinally extending axles 2, and onjeither set of these axles are wheels 3. The wheels are placed on the axles 1 when the machine is transported from place to place, and on the axles 2 as shown.

when'the machine is in operati lled by an The machine is adapted to be pro external source of power 'such for instance as a traction engine which may be attached in any suitable manner.

The digging mechanism in the present instance, comprises apair of parallel sprocket chains Con which are arranged scoop-shaped buckets or shovels D of any approved design and suitably spaced apart, and the chains ass over sprocket Wheels 4 and 5 at the rear ower corner of the main frame and the outer portion of the extension frame B respectively, and to support the upper half of the chain between these two points are guide rollers6 adjacent the top of the frame A. The lower half or portion of the digging element is mounted in a sutiable guide E that is adapted to support the 'weight of the chains and buckets and the contents of the latter, v One art of this guide comprises an arcuate rame composed of side members 7 located in 11g Patented July 14,1908, I I

'- bucket carrying chains, a driving shaft 13 is 1 arranged on the main frame and provided shaft 23.

tne main frame and constituting a part of the '1 feeding mechanism. As clearly shown in Fig. 3, this arcuate portion-of the guide is provided with two. setsof.rollers 8 and '9 mounted on the side members 7, the latter rollers engaging the under side of the bucket carrying chains and the rollers 8, the upper 'side ofthe chains. By this means, the buckets are guided in an arcuate path so that a ditch or trench of a form corresponding to the members 7 is dug. The idlers or sprocket wheels 4 are located at one end of the arcuate portion of the guide E.- The other portion of the guide comprises a pair of straight side members 10 hingedly connected with the front end of the members 7 andsuitably spaced apart so as to permit the buckets D to pass between them, and on the inner surfaces of the side members 10 are rollers 11 for supporting the chains C and preventing sagging thereof. The upper end of the straight portion of the guide E terminates just below the sprocket wheels 5 and is supported by means of hangers 12 on the extension B.

For driving the digging mechanism or with a pulley 1.4 adapted to be belted to the. traction engine, and by means of miter gearing 1-5 drives a countershaft 16 supported on the main frame at a point adjacent to and below the roller 6 for the chain 0. On the countershaft are sprocket wheels 17 and 18 for driving main and auxiliary sprocket. wheels for the bucket carrying chains The main driving wheels are designated by 5, and on the shaft 19 is a sprocketwheel 20 meshing with the sprocket chain21' that asses over a sprocket wheel 22 on acounter- On the countershaft 23 is a sprocket wheel 24 meshing with a sprocket chain 25 that passes around the sprocket wheel 18 on the first-mentioned countershaft 16. By this arrangement, the speed reduction is obtained between the engine and main sprocket wheels 5 of the bucket chains. The secondary means for driving the chains O comprises sprocket wheels 26 arranged on a shaft 27 at the front end of the arcuate por-, tion of the guide E, the shaft being driven by two sprocket and chain transmissions 28 and 29 in the r latter of which is the sprocket wheel 17 on the shaft 16. In order to permit power to be transmitted through the sprocket and chainmechanisms 28 and 29 at any point in the cut, the sprockets 30 and 31 are mounted on hingedly connected links 32 at the point 33, the opposite ends of the links being hingedly connected with the shafts 16 and 27. The axle 33 of thesprockets 30 and 31 moves in a slotted quadrant 34 secured to the main frame and arranged concentric with the shaft 16. Thus, as the guide E is moved up or down during the manipulation of the ceases machine, the links'32will'ohange their is lar relation and maintain the sprocket and tchain mechanisms 28 and p 29" in constant operative condition-. I l

The feed of the buckets is accomplished by means of the vertical rack bars 35 suitably guided on the main frame and connected at their lower ends with the member 7 :and meshing with the .teeth thereof. arepinions '36 on horizontal. transversely extending.

shafts 37 mounted on the top of the main frame;- 'On the shafts 37 are sprocket. wheels 38 over which 1passchains 39- en'gaging respectively, sma sprocket wheels or pinions 40 and 41 on above the operators platform 43. On the the horizontal shaft 42 arranged shaft 42 is a capstan wheel 44, whereby the operator can transmit motion to the pinions lowering the .arcu ate frame 36 for ralsmg or I for guiding thebuckets during the digging or cutting operation. In order to quickly.

raise the arcuate frame and attached parts power is taken from the shaft- 16 by means j of-a crossed s rocket chain 45 passing over s '46 and 47 on the shaft 16 a ectively, the

sprocket whee and adjacent shaft 37, res transmission of ower througi this sprocket and chain mechanism is controlled by a clutch 48, Fig;

of operation y a hand lever 49 at the operwith. As shown in Figs. 2 and 7, the shaft 42 is provided with a brake device 50 comprising a periphery of the disk and hav- 2, that is thrown into and out .ators platform and suitably connected theredisk 51 keyed to the shaft and brake shoes or gripping-members 52 arranged 7 C to engage the ing corresponding ends fixed at 53' to a sta tionary part 54, and their opposite ends formed into ears 55 that are engaged by cams 56 for operating on the ears tose't'the-briike members. The earns 56 are formed 'on a lever 57 suitably fulcrumed and-connected with a foot lev,er 58. When the brake 50 is set, the parts of the feeding de'vicecanbe held in raised position so as to be out ofthe way of obstructions during the transportation of the machine.

61 that are connected to rotate wit The hub. 59 of the hand wheel 4.4, as shown in Fig. 8, is 'cham bored and provided with internal teeth. 60

,with which cooperate spring actuated ,pawls shaft 42, and by this means the said shaftcan rotate independentlyoff the wheel, "as;

when the parts of the feeding devicezare elevated by power received from the engine. On the outer end of the extension frame B is ,a discharging device upon which the buckets deposit their contents, the said de,

vice comprisingan endless belt or apron 62 mounted on a carriage 63 and passing around rollers 64 011 the carriage. he apron 62 is arran ed under the extension frame tension frame by. hangers 66 which are'fitted B in inclined position and is movably. suspended on .the bottom rails of th'eex- 1 151" i the": 5

l with rollers 67 engaging the top surface of the rails 65. By this means," the apron carriage can be projected outwardly and ele-- vated so as to change the point of discharge of the material therefrom. As shown 1n; Figs. 1, 5 and 6, the rollers 64 are provided with sprocket wheels 68 around which ass a sprocket chain 69, whereby both ro lers are driven simultaneously. The discharging a ron 62 is actuated by means of a sprocket w eel 70 on a shaft 71 disposed-under theof the dischar ing apron, a hand W eel 76 on a pulley, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and is guided by a pulley 81 and which branches tois arranged at the operators platform to rotate a horizontal shaft 77 on the-top of. the main frame which, through a miter gearing 78, rotates a transversely extending shaft 79'. On'this shaft is adapted to wind a flexible element or chain 80 that extends longitudi-' nallyover the top of the frameand is guided ass over pulleys 82, the extremities of the branches 83 being connected with the apron carriage 63 for projecting it outwardly and upwardly. Since the carria e is mounted to move on an incline, it wil automatically return to its lower position when the chain 80 is ermitted to unwind. The parts may be held in locked position by apawl and ratchet mechanism 84 arranged adjacent the hand wheel 76, as shown in Fig. 2. Located-on the'frame extension B at a point directly above the discharge apron, is a bucket scraping device 85, as shown in Fig. 4, which is adapted to dislodge any material tending to adhere to the bottom of the bucket.

By reference to Fig. 9, it will be seen that the buckets D are provided with outwardly extending journals 86 on which are rollers 87 that engage in guideways 88 in the members 7 so as to firmly hold the buckets in osition during the digging- Since the buc ets are located between the side. members 7, it "is necessary to cut away the earth. under the side members 7 as the digging proceeds, and

for this purpose each end wall of the bucket is provided with a horizontally extending knife'89 dis osed directly below the side members, a .jacentthe side members- 7,

\ whereby the earth is cut away and taken up by succeeding buckets. The chains C are prdvided with devices for taking up the sag as the parts of the feeding-device are operated',an d such devicecom prises a weight 90 I for each chain which is" attachedi to thus maintain'the chains in operative e la the ditching, trenching or excavating is the automatic lowering of the guide E, to gether' with the buckets until the cut is comcally movable structure 91 guidedv main frame and provided with; a roller 9 en gaging on the topside-of the chains C, sothat as the latter sags between the sprocke wheels 4 and guide rollers 6, theweights9 will drop and carry" the chains 'with'them a tion with the sprocket wheels.

. In practice, the machine is transported. means of a traction engine'to theplace done, the wheels 3 beingg -arrangedion axles 1. The traction engine can be'c to the machine in any suitable ma transportation and f( r--moving thej ste by ste durin f the di 'nwo em on. Wlibn the 'n fachjnei to be i s edlfoi' digging an irrigating ditch or canal orthflike, the machine is jacked up and the wheels 3trans ferred to the axles 2.' The'tra'ction engine is then coupled to the side of the machine-so as.

to move it bodily in a lateraldirection'as the successive cuts are to be made. The wheel of the traction engine is belted to, the

wheel 14 of the machine so as toideliverpower 9 for operating the various parts. Normally.

the buckets or shovels of the endless chain are in raised position and are so held by means of the brake device 50 so thatthe machine can be trans orted from place to place Without the shovels meeting obstructions. As soon as power is thrown on the machine, the operatorlon the platform 43 disengages the brake so that the feeding device, includby gravity so that as the endless conveyor travels, the-shovelswill take up the earth and the earth will be gradually cut away by pleted. As the buckets reachthe' sprocketv wheels 5 at the discharge end of the machine, theearth is dropped on the endless apron 62 and thereby deposited. As the pile underjthe apron increases in height, the apron can be projected upwardly and outwardly by turning the hand wheel 76 at the operators platform.- After one out is made, the power at the traction whe'elis thrown off and the traction wheels are clutched in so that the engine can be moved forwardly a distance equal to the width of the buckets, it being neces sary, of course, toraise the endless conveyer guide E to its uppermost position. To raisethe said guide, the operator throws in the clutch 48 before the power is taken off the machine, so that the guide can be raised by the. engine. The machine clutch 48 causes the shaft 16 to rotate the right hand shaft 37, so that the pinion 36 will move the righthand rack35 upwardly, and by means of the sprocket chains 39, the sprockets 40 and 41, and left hand sprocket wheel 38 the pinion 36 at the left will cause its rack. 35 to be raised. 130

100 111g the endless conveyer guide E Wlll drop J 50 veyer mounted thereon, shovels on the conhas been moved forwardly one step,

If desired, however, the endless conveyer guide E can be raised by the operator turn-' ing the hand wheel at. After the machine a the digging operation s repeated to make another I I cut and this process s carried on continuously until the work is finished. The machine, while useful inmaking ditches, trenches and other excavations, can, of course, be used for removing banks, piles of earth and grad- From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings,

the advantages of the construction and of the method of o eration will be readily apparent to those skil ed in the art to which the invention a pertains, and while I have described the principle of operation of the invention,

. together with the apparatus which I now con- Isider to be the best embodiment thereof, I

apron on the frame and arranged inthe A the inclined guide,

the --apron back and forth, in the direction of same vertical plane, with the conveyer for receiving the material from the shovels, and means for bodily'moving conveyer.

2. In a machine of theclass described, the combination ofa supporting frame, an endless conveyer mounted thereon,shovels carried by the conveyer, a vertically movable guide through which the conveyer passes at the point where the shovels take up material, an inclinedguide hingedly connected with one end of the other guide, means for raising the guides by power, an apron supported under and means for shifting its length.

3. In a machme of the class described, the combination ofa framework, an endless conmeans for driving the conveyer, a

veyer,

which the conveyer passes guide through I at the points W ere the shovels are brought into operation, a clutch for holding the guide in fixed position, and a cam means for locking or releasing the clutch device and a mechanism deriving power from said. means'for moving the guide; I

4. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a frame, an endless conveyer mounted thereon, shovels carried by the con- 'veyer, a guide on the frame through which the conveyer passes, a mechanism for mov-' ing the guide by hand cr-by power, an endism between the the apron back and .forth in a path in line with the length of the eeasee less a ron at one end of the conveyer ble e ement for shifting the apron, winding device for the element.

5. In a machine of the class described, the

combination of a supporting frame, endless .cha nsi thereon, sprocket wheels for the chains, shovels attached to, the chains,

' and a means fordriving the chains, a weighted device mounted for vertical movement on the frame and disposed to yieldingly hold the chains taut a guide through which the chains pass as the means for vertically moving the guide, said latter means including a clutch device.

6. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a frame, bucket carrying means thereon, a guide for said means, racks connected with the guide, simultaneously actuated inions meshing with the racks for moving t 1e guide, a driving shaft, mechanshaft and pinions for actuand a clutch on the shaft for holding the latter stationary and sustaining the weight of the guide and attached parts.

7. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a supporting structure, end less shovel carrying elements, a weighted device guided on the structure and sustained by the elements for holding the latter taut, a guide for the elements arranged to lower by gravity during the operation of the shovels, a device for holding the guide normally in raised position, and means for moving the guide upwardly.

. 8. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a framework, a bucket carating the latter,

rying means guided thereon, buckets on the" and horizontally extending fixed" forth, a sprocket and'chain mechanism for driving the apron, and a toothed wheel meshing with the sprocket chain for drlvmg' the latter irrespective of the position of the frame.

10. In amachine of the class described, the

combination of a framework, endless bucketcarrying elements thereon, an endless apron disposed to receive the material from the bucket, a movable frame supporting the apron, means for shifting the frame'back and forth, a-sprocket and chain mechanism for driving the apron, a toothed wheel meshing with the sprocketchain for driving the latter irrespective of the position of the frame, and

shovels take up material, and a the frame back and- IQO bucket, a-movable frame supporting the apron, means for shifting an endless the buc ets and disposed under the chains,

and means for-raising and lowering the guide.- 12. Ina machine of the 'class described, the combinatlon of a supporting'structure,

'- an endless conveyer, buckets thereon, a guide consisting of two parts, one part being shaped tocor'respond to the ditchto be du means for vertically movin the guide, an a. guid-- ing mechanism for t e conveyer, said 'mechanlsm consisting of a driving shaft, a driven" shaft mounted on andzrn'ovable with the guide, means on the driven shaft for engaging the conveyer to propel the same, a plu' rality-of links pivoted 'to the shafts andhingedly connected together, and sprocket and chain devices supported by the links for transmitting power from the driving to the driven shaft.

. 13. in a machine of the class described,- the combination of a supporting frame, an

j endless conveyer mounted thereon,- shovels attached to the conveyor, a guide for supporting the lower lengths'of the conveyer, a driving shaft arranged in fixed position, and

, a driving mechanism between the shaft and lower length of the honveyer, said mechanism comprising a pair'of links connected respectively with the shaft and guide to have swinging movement, means for hingedly connect ing the links, an arcuate guide disposed concentric with the driving shaft for'guiding the movement of the links, and devices carried by the links for transmitting power from thedriving shaft to the conveyor.

141/111 a machine ofthe class described, thev combination'of a supporting frame, anendless conveyer thereon, a vertically movable guide for the lower length of the conveyer, shovels on the conveyer, adriving shaft, means on the guidefor actuating the conveyer, fieXible driving connections between the shaft and said means, and.auto-' means, gravity-actuated means sustained by the 'conveyer for holding the latter taut as the, guide israised or lowered. I 16. In a machine of the class described, the combinationof a framework, an endle c'onve yer thereon, shovels on the conveyor, a, longitudinally movable discharge apron-for receiving theimaterialfrom the shovels, mechanism for driving the apronirrespectifve of the position of the latter and means'for changing the position of the apron at a rela tively remote point.

17. In a machine of the class described,

fanendless conveyer thereon, shovels on the conveyer, an endless apron mounted on the. structure to receive the'material from theshovels, a mechanism for driving the conveyer, means for driving the apron fromthe said mechanism, .a device for manually adjusting the position of the: apron, and means supporting the apron to permit thelatter to return toinitial osition bygravit 18, In am'ac 'ne of the class described,

the combination of a supporting frame, an,

endless conveyer thereon, shovels on the con-j veyer, a guide for-the lower length of the con-, 'veyer, an operator-s platform on the frame, meansfor raising and lowering the guide from. the platform, an' endless" discharge, apron for receiving ina'teriai from the shove s,

a mechanism for simultaneously driving the conveyor and apron, and I means controlled from the operators platformthe position of the apron.

In testiinony'w'hereof, I afii r my slgnaturq in presenceoftwo witnesses.

' 1 HENRY-SERUM. W'itnesses; I i

' 'JonN T5Srno1u, Y

P. -G Swanson. I

the combinationof asupporting structure,

for changing 

